Solidarity with Kevan Thakrar
Thank you to everyone who turned out to demonstrate in my support in London outside Prison Service headquarters on 16 February and to all those who helped create the banners, flyers and advertised the event.
Since then there have been significant developments. Firstly, the attempt to have me sectioned under the Mental Health Act failed. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is not something which a person can be sectioned for, so the psychiatrist refused to do the dirty work of the Close Supervision Centre Management Committee (CSCMC) and refer me to hospital.
Transfer to HMP Full Sutton segregation unit turned out to be their next attack. Greeted by a full riot squad on arrival, my treatment was never going to be good, but even I was shocked at the audacity of these discriminators who stormed my cell while I was praying, to assault me and provoke a reaction. Fortunately I did not fall into their trap; however this has only led to me being subjected to a continued and increasing level of harassment.
The problem for the CSCMC is this: I have a psychological report which stipulates that I should be returned to normal location as after five years on the CSC I do not need to remain under these conditions. It goes on to say that keeping me in these environments is exacerbating my PTSD, which is disability discrimination in violation of the Equality Act. The CSCMC does not want me ever to be able to return to normal location, hence their failed attempt to have me sectioned, but they know that with this report any judge in the country will rule against them if they fail to progress me.
As they are unable to get me out of their jurisdiction, their core aim is to provoke an incident to justify my CSC status. At the same time they subject me to treatment intended to worsen my mental health in the hope of facilitating my transfer to a hospital.
They have now informed me of their intention to allocate me to the Exceptional Risk Unit in HMP Wakefield. This is the very end of the line, indefinite isolation, nobody ever leaves, except those who die of old age. During my 13-day stay at Wakefield seg back in 2010, almost the whole first week I was starved, and not a day went by without some kind of threat being made by the officers there, including extreme racial abuse.
Targeting me through the courts, I must be the only prisoner in history facing prosecution for common assault, which stems from a false allegation by an officer by the way. Wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds of public money attempting to force through a wrongful conviction to dirty my record and bolster their other schemes, they have recruited Manchester police and the CPS to help. With legal argument due to take place on 22 May at Manchester Crown Court regarding the validity of this case, only time will tell if this prosecution actually proceeds.
I need your support now more than ever. A protest is being organised outside Manchester Crown Court on 22 May and I ask for all those who can to please attend. Maybe I will hear you if you shout loud enough!
I really am in a desperate situation and the only real way out is with your support. We can stand together against this abuse and cause it to change for me and all the others who follow. The CSC system has been allowed to operate in secrecy since its creation in 1998, sending many prisoners insane. The time has come to put a stop to the ordeal. The protest on 22 May is the first real step in achieving this. I hope to see you there.
Kevan Thakrar A4907AE
HMP Full Sutton
Since writing this Kevan has been moved to HMP Wakefield, 5 Love Lane, Wakefield, WF2 9AG
HMP Frankland: bloody-minded, petty and bureaucratic
Following a recent ruling on sending books to prisoners, FRFI sought to send a copy of our Larkin publication Labour: a party fit for imperialism to Rangzieb Ahmed. In its latest act of spiteful harassment, the prison has withheld the book. We reprint their latest reply to our continuing protest over this issue.
Thank you for your letter of 5 March 2015. I would like to make the following observations. The book you refer to, Labour: a party fit for imperialism, was sent into the prison prior to the introduction of the new rules regarding the possession of books and the changes to the IEP [privileges] Scheme. Therefore, the book has been dealt with under the relevant procedures at that time which means it will be held in Mr Ahmed’s stored property until he is released or he applies to send it out of the establishment.
As stated in your letter, amendments were made to the Prison Service Instruction which came into effect on 31 January 2015. Family and friends are now allowed to order books on behalf of prisoners which are sent directly to the prison. However, these must be from one of the four approved suppliers which are Blackwells, Foyles, Waterstones, and WH Smith.
If there are any exceptional reasons, the Governor may allow friends and family to send books in direct, but only if it is considered appropriate for the situation.
Ms A Peters, CTU
HMP Frankland, Brasside, Durham DH1 5YD
Alienated call centre labour
I am working in a call centre in Manchester. I was surprised how call centre life is similar all over the world – I am not originally from Britain. Call centre workers are in the worst category in terms of human and workers’ rights.
This business has a dividi et impera lex (divide and rule policy): in our case workers from the EU earn less than UK workers. There is an unpleasant tension among workers, that keeps us quiet. Women are in a minority in supervisor or manager positions (and even in number of agents at the phones). In addition:
• We get no sickness pay.
• We cannot go to the toilet whenever we need to and have a maximum of 10 mins ‘loos and brews’. Breaks are strict and are totally at the will of the company.
• If we ask for holidays (or extra days off) we are obliged to give a satisfactory reason. I personally do not feel comfortable sharing my private life with people I work with.
• We won’t get our bonuses if we’re late by even one minute.
The contract I signed is designed in such a way that I can be sacked at any time and have very little chance to go against it.
I think call centre workers represent modern alienated labour as our natural biological time cannot be scheduled by a computer and we are pressed to answer the calls without interruption, one call after the other without even time to finish writing the report of the previous call.
I am writing this as I would like to gather as many people as possible to think about action to pressure the companies through a campaign, union or a lawyer/counsellor. In my case being ignorant of the law as a foreigner is a great advantage for the company.
Please get in touch with FRFI if you want to help start a campaign.
Nylde
Manchester
Newham Council locks down community centre
In December 2014, with no warning, the Upton Community Association in east London was closed by Newham Labour Council. When children arrived for nursery they found it padlocked shut. After 33 years, the 28 user groups – involving around 9,000 people in total, mainly from the Gujarati community, were left out in the cold. No MPs or councillors, nor Mayor Robin Wales have cooperated with the user groups since the closure that left many people without the services they relied on. See Facebook Save Upton Centre.
I am a volunteer at Upton Centre in Newham, and our community needs help and support to reopen our centre which many people used to use. The council forcefully locked us out of the temple and deities have been taken away from us that we used for prayers and ceremonial rituals; the closure has affected the health and quality of life of many elderly members of the community.
I feel Newham Labour Party has marginalised and discriminated against local Hindus. No warning had been given and while the stated reason for the closure is heating issues, the other half of the building, used by the One Love Centre who share the same utilities, remains operative.
As just one example, my sister Laxmi studied very hard for her GCSEs in languages but now cannot sit her exam in 2015 because it is too late for Ofsted to certify an alternative centre.
Hitesh Varsani
As you may be aware, our Upton Centre has been closed down, and we are doing everything to keep it open including protests, petitions and a campaign. The centre has been part of our community for over 30 years, and we can’t just see it closed now. We can’t let the centre go without a fight. The centre is like our second home, we can go there and take part in classes and activities. I have used that centre since I was a little girl for Gujarati classes and cultural Indian dancing, it is home to me. We need your support in helping us keep the centre open.
I am extremely disappointed in the fact that the local MPs did not turn up to the meeting about the centre. No warnings or notes were given to us to let us know. It was a disappointment that our local MPs weren’t there to support us. I would like a written and public apology to our community from the MPs to explain why they were not able to attend the meeting.
Pooja Pindoria
Estate agents: your new neighbourhood friend
Estate agents are the shopfront of landlords and property developers. Their offices now dominate high streets in many areas of London considered ripe for rent rises. They are now also posing as life-style choices and friends of the locality. In North London, Greene & Co have delivered tea-towels and brightly-coloured invitations to local homes to celebrate a ‘Bake-Off and Tea Party’ – a day of ‘fun and food’ in the local community together with Kentish Town Community Centre.
This is an insult to the growing housing struggles and the increasing use of food banks in an area where the working class is being priced out of existence.
MT Holmes
North London
Good news!
Just a quick note to say THANK YOU for sending the newspaper, it was great to get info from the outside world that was political and not the bloomin’ TV news!
Em Sheppard A73720J
HMP Send
Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! 244 April/May 2015
